Second Lesson for Guitar - Volume 2 : (English Text) (Guitar Method) [Paperback] Review

Volume two of Julio's "Second Lessons For Guitar" will not be easy playing unless you're beyond the beginner and intermediate level of playing. The printing of the book should be of a better quality. Lots of smugging of information. The lessons can be figured out, but the quality of the print is to be desired. That said don't let the print discourage you from purchasing the book. It has great technique lessons for the upper intermediate to advanced players. In order to be a great player you CAN NOT stop at volume one of Julio's "Lessons For Guitar." Finger technique abounds.

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Product Description:
One of the world's most popular beginning classical guitar methods by South American guitar virtuoso Julio Sagreras and translated by Bernard Moore. Features carefully sequenced studies covering technique and theory through music etudes and pieces.

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Solo Jazz Guitar Review

I've bought too many instructional DVDs over the years. This one finally has what I was looking for.If you have a basic knowledge of music theory Joe ( you can call him Joey) will show you how to actually use it. He's great natural teacher. He focuses entirely on the I vi ii V progression in the key of C (C, Amin, Dmin, G7). From there he starts substitutions, which were always a mystery to me. No heavy theory here, mostly: "this sounds right", lots of humor. For example he substitutes from Cmaj7 to Emin7, then to E7, then to Bflat13. With other substitutions for Amin and Dmin he ends up with that chromatic movement that sounds so funky, but I always wondered where it came from. He makes it so simple.
The on screen tabs and chord diagrams are just right. I spent 3 hours taking notes and made my own booklet. Pause, or slow motion, and write it down. All the substitutions are clearly diagramed and explained.And all the chords are simple to finger as he says he doesn't like to work too hard. So he greatly simplifies all those confusing voicings. (Throw most of them out!) Then there's a really great section on how toplay your scales in a way that's interesting and useful. Then he goes over two very cool running base lines, and explains how to comp with them . (He says the base line is more important than the chords, so he keeps the chords very simple.)
The information just flows out from him like music did. He was a truly great teacher, and this DVD is 10 times more useful and enjoyable than any of the 30 others I've seen.

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Product Description:
Joe Pass is one of jazz guitar's all-time masters. He demonstrates legendary techniques that will be of value to rock guitarists as well as jazz purists. Joe covers chord melody, chord substitutions, leading tones, chromatic chords, voice movements, and many more special excercises, all with the unique Joe Pass twist. A chance to study with a jazz guitar legend!

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The Legendary Guitar of James Burton Review

James Burton is a true legend and in this video proves to be a great teacher as well. This is one of my favorite instructional guitar videos because of the easy going pace and extremely good close-ups of Burton's left and right hands. He uses finger picks and it is relatively easy to see how he does everthing. From Suzy Q, Hello Mary Lou, Traveling Man etc solos to general techniques, he takes you through quite a beautiful trip. He talks about his early days (he wrote and recorded Suzy Q in his teens) and drops insider, informative comments about playing with Ricky Nelson and Elvis- specifcally how he approached the sounds he was looking for in their recordings. He shows how he gets the "echo" effects heard on Nelson's recordings without any pedals or guitar effects. (Heck, there weren't any effects pedals in 1958). This is just the tip of the iceberg. It's kind of thrilling to watch him play such classic stuff like the solo in "Fools Rush In".

The slow-motion section is just excellent. Kudos to Hot Licks for adding these sections to their DVD editions.

At the end, he shows off his "new" Fender signature paisley Telecaster with the chicken-picken style (which I think Burton practically invented). You can't go wrong adding this one to your collection.

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Product Description:
James Burton is highly regarded in the industry with a roll call of famous names who have sought his contribution to their music: Randy Newman, Gram Parsons, and Emmylou Harris among them. On this DVD he covers vibrato, stringbending, pick & finger techniques, solo construction, slides steel effects and his trademark chicken pickin' style. The result is a unique insight into the skills and techniques of the man Elvis Presley called one of the finest guitar players I have ever met. Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish

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Al Di Meola Review

To sit and learn guitar from books and CDs is great but to have Al Di Meola give you a personal lesson on his playing style is as good as it gets! The DVD was shipped in record time and in great condition! It comes with a small music book (in tablature format for those that cannot read standard music notes)that disects what he does in the DVD. The lessons are absolutely excellent and if you are a di hard Al Di Meola fan you are going to want this DVD! I had been searching everywhere for it and was told that it was not likely I would ever find it in anything but VHS. The lessons are short but plenty of techniques to keep you busy for months! The live cuts of his playing are also dynamite and he even performs a couple of pieces of his music for you.Absoluetly the best DVD for beginners and advance players (who love his music)!

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Product Description:
For the first time on DVD, Al Di Meola shares the techniques and concepts that have made him one of the world's most respected and influential guitarists. Al shows his scale choices for soloing over various chords including a special section on "the Dominant 7th-Diminished connection." Many of his melodic lines, licks, rhythm patterns and even solos have been transcripted in the accompanying booklet. Right hand technique follows as Al demonstrates his amazing picking including rhythmic ideas, muting and chordal picking. In the exciting section on rhythm playing, he shows some challenging comping patterns.

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SongXpress Classic Blues, Vol 1 (DVD) (1999) Review

Wow, they sure spent a lot of time and money making sure they got "cool" effects for the section intros.Too bad there is so little material.Oh, and instead of wide angle shots of playing the songs why not more split screen of right and left hands with Tab.Too much trouble I guess.WAY too many shots of a wiggling hand on a fretboard while being told that there are many more variations you COULD learn (that they don't show!)If you think you will learn these whole songs guess again.So little to work with here.I'm cured of buying ANY Songxpress title from here on out.

Thanks for nuthin'

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Acoustic Blues Guitar by Kenny Sultan Review

This is a good DVD if you are not a rank beginner.You should have basic fingerpicking skills.Kenny keeps talking about the book that you can purchase to accompany the Video but Tablature is provided with the DVD so you have everything that you need to learn the tunes enclosed with the DVD.
Kenny also breaks everything down and goes slowy enough with his explinations to learn the songs.

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Product Description:
The Acoustic Blues Guitar DVD presents a combination of 3-key blues techniques for guitarists who already know basic chords and have some experience with the guitar. Kenny Sultan's lessons cover straight blues in the key of A, ragtime blues in G, and slide guitar in open D tuning, all with helpful musical examples.

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Kenny Sultan : Guitar Blues Review

This is an excellent teaching tool for blues guitar - acoustic fingerstyle.Mr. Sultan grades the lessons from slow blues to fast-paced boogie to ragtime.He sensibly keeps it to 2 keys with the greatest concentration on E.I would say the lesson is best for intermediate players in that it helps to have a better than basic grasp of blues playing and the fingerstyle method.Mr. Sultan shares his knowledge of many standard licks and riffs which are easily transposed into other keys. There is a companion book which you probably can do without although it is helpful. notably with one or two of the turnarounds.I would certainly recommend getting the cd's West Coast Blues and Guitar Blues - not only because they are good within themselves, but listening to them is a great learning tool.The DVD does not require reading of tab or music and it helps to develop an ear.I am not all that familiar with a wide range of video/dvd teaching aids, but if you wish to move beyond folk style strummings to full blown solo playing, this is excellent.Not only that, but the wealth of licks that are taught will enable you to fit in to a blues jam and aquit yourself fairly well.It offers a very intimate teaching style that allows you to go at your own pace.Once you have practiced enough to get up to speed, you get to playing along with Kenny and even throwing in a few of your own licks.I really liked this.You can jam along to your heart's content. This is an excellent product that delivers.Mr. Sultan obviously is an experienced teacher and takes his time to walk you through each tune.Highly recommended.By the end of it you have a good toolbox of tricks and would qualify as a competent player. What I found from a personal perspective, was that these lessons introduced the concept of playing inside the chords and as such led on to a clearer understanding of swing and jazz styles.

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Product Description:
Each DVD offers six songs performed and taught by a master of the acoustic style. In a special lesson section, key aspects and techniques required for each arrangement are presented. The viewer can select from multiple camera angles, including the full performance or just the left or right hand in close-up. In addition, an artist biography and discography plus several bonus song performances are included in each DVD.

Kenny Sultan is one of the most highly respected blues guitarists and blues guitar educators in the country. Kenny's great solo blues arrangements serve as a virtual encyclopedia of vital blues licks and patterns. These songs are firmly rooted in the classic blues forms and are a great springboard for developing a strong blues repertoire.

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Best of Lennon & McCartney for Bass Guitar Featuring Bob Efford Review

I got this video for Christmas and was excited to find an easy way to learn some tasty bass parts. I started on the first section - "All My Loving" - and immediately noticed some weird errors. Like referring to a 1-3-5 pattern as 1-3-3. Nothing too significant, but the sort of thing that should have been caught and fixed. The verse was explained in detail, going through it note by note, then at half speed. The bridge and instrumental were only played at half speed (no note by note explanation). The final part (really just a reprise of the bridge) wasn't discussed at all. I learned the verse and went to try it with the recording and it sounded "wrong". Not out of tune, but pitched like a guitar not a bass. So I went to YouTube and searched for "All My Loving". This turned up several videos of Paul McCartney (with the Beatles and solo) playing the song. Paul never plays above the 5th fret while Mr. Efford starts the verse at the 11th fret - an octave too high. I spent a lot of time listening to the recording and going over it in detail (the kind of thing I'd hoped to avoid with this video) and found several other small errors. A lot of effort clearly went into making this video and I don't understand why they didn't work a little harder on the musical aspects of it. I haven't yet worked on any of the other songs, but I did notice that the signature riff from "Day Tripper" was also played very high on the neck and I expect that this song has the same issues as "All My Loving". I gave this two stars instead of one because I did get some good ideas from it, but it has some serious issues.

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Product Description:
Hosted by in-demand L.A. session man and U.K. native Bob Efford, this DVD takes players note-by-note through McCartney's masterfully composed bass lines in these eight Beatles classics

Songs: Hey Bulldog : I Want You (she's So Heavy) : Come Together : Day Tripper : Eight Days A Week : Nowhere Man : All My Loving : Paperback Writer

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The Guitar of Preston Reed-Expanding The Realm Of Acoustic Playing Review

Great video with good demonstrations of this style and a good way to learn 3 of Prestons songs. This is a little advanced for the typical intermediate level guitarist but with some work this style can be learned. The reason for not giving it 5 stars is the terrible little booklet of tablature. A pdf file of the tunes should also be included on the DVD as some other suppliers of guitar learning DVDs are now doing.

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Product Description:
Preston Reed has reinvented how the acoustic guitar is played with his dynamic use of percussive devices and unusual playing ideas. You'll learn to create a multitude of sonic and rhythmic effects with Preston's "rim shots," "bongo hits," slap harmonics, double hammer-ons, two-hand tapping, right-hand fretting and other techniques. In "Slap Funk," "Border Towns" and "Tribes," he shows new ways of generating sounds and offers a myriad of ideas for this exciting solo guitar style.

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How To Play Bass Guitar (Acorn Basic Lessons) [Paperback] Review

...but this book is a good introduction to the bass. No, there's not a lot of pictures other than the most basic fingering techniques, and it doesn't have a bunch of "hot licks". However, it contains all the fundamentals you need to start playing bass. It goes through all the major/minor scales, chords, the circle of fifths, blues progressions; in other words, it teaches you "how to play bass guitar". I played trombone for 8-9 years so I knew the scales & how to read bass clef, but I still needed to know how to translate that to the bass. This book works just fine for that.

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Product Description:
A method of tuition that develops logically from the basics to technical and musical standards that open the doors to jazz, fusion, and rock.

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Easy Guitar Chords and Progressions Review

My husband started guitar about a year and a half ago.(He's over 50) He says that this dvd has been one of the best instruction tools he has used.He was anxious to try it when I surprised him with it, and was not disappointed. The illustrations are clear and the instructions are easy to follow.If an instructional dvd can teach a mid-lifer with little musical background, I think that's pretty impressive!

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Product Description:
By moving one finger to a different fret, a familiar chord takes on a whole new quality! Move a chord shape to a different position on the neck and you have a rich, advanced-sounding progression! Welcome to Artie Traum s lesson in how to use chords to enhance basic folk, country, blues and rock songs.Artie has designed the perfect lesson for anyone who s looking for ways to make guitar accompaniments come alive. He focuses on the basic chord shapes you probably use all the time (D, G, E and C) and shows you how you can transform their sound by incorporating altered notes, open strings, bass lines, barre chords and a variety of other techniques that will help you create beautiful accompaniments.So, if your songs are sounding a little ordinary, or you want to jump-start a new one you re writing, this world-class player s easy solutions will simply make them sound better. Artie s lesson is fun, relaxed and filled with numerous guitar tips, musical ideas and easy songs, including Sloop John B, Corrina, Worried Man Blues, Barbed Wire, The Water is Wide and Diamond Joe.

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Intervallic Designs for Jazz Guitar: Ultramodern Sounds for Improvising (REH Pro Lessons) [Paperback] Review

This one of the most unique guitar books EVER ...
Whatever style you play this book will teach you something ! it starts with very simple pentatonic intervalic designs and then gradually stretches to the outer limits ! it has a cool section which explains (via examples) how outside sounds are obtained over common chords, rather that just play the licks you'll finally understand how the "outside" sound is produced, with this book you'll also see where frank gambale, scott henderson, jennifer batten and even paul gilbert got a lot of their stuff :) I don't even play jazz but this book has REALLY helped me in many ways, Joe Diorio is a master player and the lines here will also help your technique, they're HARD !

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Product Description:
Expand your playing and your imagination with these revolutionary intervallic lines by jazz great Joe Diorio! Topics include: designs of tonality, designs of diatonic harmonies, designs for the diminished scales, designs for dominant and altered dominant chords, designs for the chromatic scales, designs of varied harmonic applications, designs of the perfect fifth interval, designs for freestyle improvisation, and more. Includes tab.

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Pumping Nylon (includes Paperback book) Review

This review applies to book the book and the DVD.

Incorporating these technical exercises into your practice will yield rapid improvement. But a lot of things could be improved. For instance, a lot of space is wasted in the "Horizontal Character Builders" section where 3 pages are used to show the exercises on all 6 strings when it would have been adequate to show it on 1 string--it was a good time to use the word, "etcetera". And, Tennant also failed in this section to suggest using the same exercise using finger pairs 2 & 3 and 3 & 4. He also bores us on the DVD and takes up valuable space by tediously showing each finger combination for most of the warm-ups.

Most of the exercises aren't original and Tennant misses the opportunity to add some originality.For instance, a good suggestion would have been to practice the right and left hand walking exercises without looking at your hands, which is the how much of what we play is eventually accomplished.And, many of the left hand warm-ups, especially the finger independence stretches should be attempted first on higher frets where the stretch is easier, e.g., 6-9, and then gradually translated to frets 1-4.Though Tennant does encourage exploration, most students will blindly follow the leader.

Most of his example pieces are inappropriate in a book of this nature. The pieces are way too advanced for focusing on technique--you'll spend more time figuring out how to play the pieces than utilizing the technique. For instance, after Tennant presents the basics of how to barre, he offers two pieces written by his buddies Andrew York and Brian Head that are only appropriate for the advanced intermediate player. They, and other pieces, are much too complicated for the average guitarist to bother with. Simpler pieces would have been more appropriate.

The companion DVD addresses only basic material, how to hold the guitar, how to pluck a string, how to file nails, etc.And, it's disappointing that there is only one DVD that only covers the daily warm-up exercises. I was looking forward to seeing Tennant play The Spider and Odair's Favorite Drill played with blazing speed and the flamenco fragments played at speed.So, in addition to many of the examples being inappropriate in a book of this nature, they're not even recorded on the DVD! Now, I realize that there wasn't room on just one DVD for everything, that's why there should have been additional DVD volumes of the exercises.Also, since there are no metronome markings, you're left to wonder exactly what speed you should try and achieve and what some of the exercises and pieces would sound like when played fast.It's good to know what ideal to strive for.

Tennant makes the same mistakes on the DVD as in his book. For instance, near the beginning of the DVD, after explaining the difference between the rest stroke and free stroke, he plays an illustrative piece by Dowland called The Frog Galliard, (which isn't even in his book). The piece is much too advanced and played way too fast for a beginner who is trying to focus on learning the rest and free strokes to get anything from.There are dozens of slow, simple pieces by Giuliani, Carulli, Sor, Coste and others which are in the public domain, and that would have provided the beginner with a good insight into the application of rest and free strokes in a piece of music.He also states (incorrectly) that rest strokes are mostly for renaissance and baroque period pieces which might lead some students to not practice them if all they wanted to learn was Sor, Tarrega and other more "modern" composers.

Tennant is an excellent presenter and a lot is to be gained from watching this video and there is a lot of valuable information in the book.But the book badly needs a revision and a good "weeding-out" and more DVDs need to be made covering all the book's material with simple, relevant examples substituted for The Frog Galliard and other poor examples.

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Product Description:
No Description Available.
Genre: How To - Musical Instruction
Rating: NR
Release Date: 4-JUL-2006
Media Type: DVD

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DVD-Norman Blake's Guitar Techniques #1 Review

Like most of the top guitar pickers (Doc Watson, Tony Rice, Dan Crary, Steve Kaufman),the gifted guitarists are more than willing to share some of those "jaw dropping" licks, runs and signature style. Norman Blake is no exception. His down-home manner of instructional delivery will prevent any fear of being a "grasshopper at the foot of the master." Mr. Blake speaks softly and carries a big Martin. His picking is clean, his arrangements are "doable", plus we are treated to several duets with his wife Nancy. There are some choice tips on duets playing I think most pickers will appreciate.

The beauty of DVD learning for the home guitar student is the ability to isolate a small section in an "A-B" endless loop, allowing the guitar player to concentrate on a passage and play it continuously along with the talented Mr. Blake. It's better than studio guitar lessons in terms of affordability and material retrievability.

I've yet to buy any musical instructional video or DVD on the Homespun Video label that failed to meet my standards. Put your money (or card) down and play along with Norman. There's plenty of great pickin' ahead for the owners of this masterpiece.

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Product Description:
Legendary guitarist Norman Blake teaches flatpicking fundamentals and a variety of bluegrass and old-time country guitar techniques that have made him a hero to acoustic players everywhere. He explores arrangements for several favorite songs and instrumentals from his repertoire, discussing back-up technique, use of the capo, special tuning and lots more. Songs: Whiskey Before Breakfast * Gray Coat Soldiers * Ginseng Sullivan * and more. 90-MIN. DVD * INCLUDES MUSIC + TAB * LEVEL 3

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DVD-Swing Guitar- Rhythm's Where It's At! Review

A Great DVD! Mike Dowling shows you Swing Guitar Rhythms and Three Note Freddie Greene type chords for Comping, Clearly explained and demonstrated, this DVD is for the Intermediate to advanced guitarist who at least has a basic knowledge of chords & progressions. Mike will have you swinging in no-time! Highly Recommended!

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Product Description:
Here's a fabulous guitar lesson that will give you all the tools you'll need to become a great rhythm guitarist! Veteran player Mike Dowling demonstrates, clearly and simply, the techniques that put him in high demand as sideman for such legendary players as Joe Venuti, Jethro Burns and Vassar Clements.
Using swing blues as a starting point, Mike covers the basics of chord substitution, rhythm vamps, 10th chords, diminished chords, jump-style syncopations and funky 9th chord blues. He takes a close look at the often-overlooked right hand and introduces the vocabulary of classic swing chords that are guaranteed to add punch and style to your playing.
Mike spends a considerable amount of time on techniques that are designed to help you capture that elusive quality called "swing." He teaches "Sheik of Araby" and "Beaumont Rag," and spends ample demonstration time taking the mystery out of the famous and important "Rhythm Changes."
Ably assisted by renowned Nashville fiddler Buddy Spicher and acoustic bassist Chris Enghauser, Mike uses the trio format to showcase the power of rhythm guitar in an ensemble setting.
In 1975, master fiddler Vassar Clements heard Mike Dowling play swing guitar and hired him for his first touring band. Since then, Mike, who refined his technique under the tutelage of the great George Barnes, has gone from accomplished sideman and session player to solo artist and composer of amazing versatility. Mike's Homespun video "Bottleneck Blues & Beyond" shows that he is an especially effective teacher as well as a superb guitarist.

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SongXpress: Steely Dan (2004) Review

This dvd is nothing more than a instructional vidio on how to play the guitar like steely dan.I got fooled by buying it,I hope nobody else does.A.GOODWIN

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Product Description:
SongXpress is the fastest and easiest way to learn your favorite songs on guitar. It's like having a good friend teach you in the comfort of your living room! With this exciting and fun format, you'll learn all the chords, riffs, and guitar patterns for each song. Plus, our exclusive on-screen diagrams and tablature practically guarantee you will be playing in no time. DVD special features include a tuning segment, chord diagrams and TAB, additional video tips, play-along tracks, and printable PDF files. With a jazz-rock sound that is highly unique and widely appreciated, Steely Dan is one of the few bands to enjoy great commercial success with a brand of music that is anything but. Their style attracts listeners of all genres and is heralded by musicians of all backgrounds. Titles: Do It AgainReelin' in the YearsRikki Don't Lose That NumberDeacon Blues.

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Fretboard Roadmaps Review

If you're looking for production values, rent The Matrix.If you want to learn your way around the fretboard, this is a great place to start.No DVD can teach you everything, but this one is a great overview and introduction to scales and soloing techniques.The DVD illustrates, very well, various concepts that can be used to improvise in any key and in any style of music.

If you've been playing guitar for a while, are comfortable playing rhythm, but your soloing is pretty much limited to solos you've learned or worked out ahead of time, this DVD is a great next step.The lessons are easy to follow.If you take your time and work your way through all the lessons, you'll definitely become a much better player.Also, as you improvise and start to find your way around the fretboard, moving from one lesson concept to another, you'll start to see how it's all tied together.

DVDs that teach you 50 Licks are good, but learning licks doesn't help you understand how and why things work.Save your money on private guitar lessons and start here.I cannot recommend this one enough...Thanks Fred!

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Product Description:
No matter what style of guitar you play, you will love this DVD! This DVD helps viewers think like musicians. Using familiar tunes, Fred Sokolow teaches the movable fretboard patterns all the pros use. Guitarists will learn how to solo and play back-up in all keys, all over the fretboard; play movable chords and chord progressions; play chord-based licks and arpeggios; jam or play melodies with the blues box and with pentatonic and major scales; and much more. The accompanying booklet comes complete with easy-to-follow notation and diagrams which correspond exactly to the DVD. 62 minutes.

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Country Telecaster Virtuosity Review

Flacke is an excellent hot rod Tele player and you can definitely learn some useful licks/techniques here thanks in no small part to the inclusion of the booklet containing Standard/TAB notation for most of the examples. Thank God Happy Traum was there to pull explanations out of Ray because he does not appear inclined to really break down what he is doing. The first song is in an alternate tuning which means at least 4 out of 5 people who buy the video will never really work that one out. For $10 less you can get "Hot Nashville Guitar" with Steve Travato which is much better. Steve is a monster player AND a real teacher (at USC)and he breaks down licks better than anyone else I have seen to date on video or DVD including Arlen Roth. Travato also has a book with a CD called "Country Solos for Guitar" which is also worth owning if you are an aspiring Danny Gatton, Albert Lee, Brent Mason, Johnny Hiland freak!!

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Product Description:
Here are the electric guitar techniques that will add hot solos and powerful drive to any country or rock band! Ray Flacke teaches the mind-boggling licks that have made him highly sought-after for record dates, jingles and live gigs on the Nashville scene for more than thirty years. 90-MIN. * INCLUDES MUSIC + TAB * EARLY INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

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Progressive Tapping Licks: Lessons and Tab for 75 Extreme Guitar Tapping Ideas (Musicians Institute Press) [Paperback] Review

Jean Marc presents some cliched triad lines to get you started in the first chapter, so the initial impression was that I wasted my money, but things start to get more interesting by the second chapter, some scale concepts, string skipping and the usual arpeggios are explored, some licks are tricky and difficult so it was cool to learn some new tricks, the ideas presented here have helped me get that fluidity going and come up with new stuff as well, some of the ideas work great using legato instead of tapping too, so I tried lots of the ideas here using simple hammer ons and pull offs with the left hand, the stretches helped my technique too so I ended up liking this book, most of the ideas presented are short so if you're looking for long licks look elsewhere, there are some cool satriani type chord tapping ideas and Jean Marc comes up with some interesting applications of this technique ...

On the downside most of the tracks sound awful, I'm aware it's not a production showcase but more careful engineering and production would result in more inspiring material, in a couple of tracks the guitar sound is just plain horrible, i'm not asking for super pro production, dude just buy a POD, use some plug ins, get a decent sound and call it a day, we'll appreciate it ... oh and fire yor engineer, he's terrible !

note to begineers : this book won't baby sit you thru the material, it starts easy but it picks up quickly with almost zero explanations and no photographs, you get the idea, it's more of a "play me if you can" affair, I'm an experienced player so that didn't bother me at all, if you get past that I think you'll welcome the challenge and benefit from this book, I'd like to add that this book is not the tapping holy grail, as some people expect too much from such books, go thru the licks, learn them, assimilate them, and then expand on them by applying them in different ways scales and keys to develop your own ideas, 3 and a 1/2 stars

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Product Description:
Tackle tapping one-on-one in this Private Lesson with MI instructor Jean Marc Belkadi! He covers: blues and classic tapping licks; scalar tapping licks; triads and arpeggios; advanced tapping licks; string skipping, multi-finger tapping, tapped bends, pedal points, open strings and other devices; and so much more. The book is in standard notation and tab, and the accompanying CD contains 75 demo tracks for listening. Each example is played at full tempo, and most are repeated at half speed.

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DVD-Innovative Arrangements For American Blues/Roots Guitar Review

Another home-run DVD lesson from Homespun!Geoff Muldaur, with a somewhat reserved and humble personality, and perhaps one of the most under-rated voices known today, is an excellent teacher of his own blend of blues and Gospel.His guitar playing is understated and beautiful, and we are privileged to have him share his secrets.His voice is simply amazing...I have never heard someone hum a portion of a song like him.His opening song alone is worth the cost of the DVD.He provides many lessons for the intermediate guitar player (or someone who is an advanced beginner looking to stretch and grow) who will not be disappointed, especially as more information on developing your own style is imparted.From the opening moments of Geoff's first song, you will be hooked.This is a DVD that I use the pause button often, as I want to catch every nuance, but it is also one that I put in to the DVD, after my playing is done, and just enjoy.His voice has that special "Bing Crosby" smoothness to it.A very talented singer and guitarist coupled with Homespun's professional camera work and editing has produced another in a long string of excellent guitar lessons.This is a "must" for every student of acoustic blues and/or Gospel. Just beautiful...

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Product Description:
Legendary singer and guitarist Geoff Muldaur has chosen six gospel and blues arrangements that are filled with ideas, techniques and wonderful songs to add to your repertoire. They include two traditional gospel songs: "Just a Little While to Stay Here," based on a New Orleans funeral march in dropped D tuning; the soulful "Trouble Soon Be Over" in open G; and "I Believe I'll Go Back Home," Geoff's own version of the biblical story of the Prodigal Son.
Geoff teaches his blues arrangement to "Wild Ox Moan," the amazing rendition of Vera Hall's Texas Blues that was one of the highlights of his hit CD "The Secret Handshake." His original blues/ballad "Got to Find Blind Lemon" tells the compelling story of Geoff's search for the blues master's resting place so he can "see that his grave is kept clean," and includes some vintage Blind Lemon licks in the arrangement. Finally, Delta blues riffs and rich chord shapes in open C tuning (EGCGCE) make a powerful setting for Blind Willie Johnson's "Tears Come Rolling Down."
Geoff's vision of the guitar as an arranging tool gives this video lesson a uniquely important place among instructional materials. He uses standard ingredients of fingerstyle playing -- alternating bass, arpeggio rolls, moving lines, harmonized scales and syncopations, combined with rich chord voicings that add a jazz sensibility to traditional music. With his rare musical intelligence, he sheds light on how to "find the little things that make a difference" and how, by making small changes, you can make turnarounds and blues licks sound fresh and new.

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Chuck Rainey (2007) Review

Great stuff.Nobody plays like Chuck, and he does a fantastic job of breaking down his style.

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Product Description:
Chuck Rainey is a name synonymous with excellence in bass playing. He has played with such legends as Steely Dan, Sam Cooke, Paul Simon, King Curtis, The Coasters, Jackie Wilson, Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack, and many more. This is your chance to study with one of the most important bassists of our time. Chuck has put together the ultimate lesson covering topics such as thumb-slap technique, development of lines and right-hand speed, chord theory and shapes, octave exercises, walking bass lines, R&B, funk and country styles, slap and pop, working with the drummer, and much more!You'll never miss a note! You'll see the music and the tablature on screen as it's being played * All right- and left-hand techniques are shown in close-up and with helpful split-screen effects to make learning easy * Slow-motion segments with standard pitch sound * Artist biography * Selected discography * Suggested listening * 20-page booklet with music examples included.

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